Commercial buildings typically include large open office areas which are divided into smaller work spaces or workstations by any of a number of space dividing panel systems that have been developed therefor. These space divider arrangements typically employ upright space-dividing wall panels which serially connect together to subdivide the office area into a plurality of smaller workstations of a desired size and configuration.
Conventional wall panel systems, however, often use different types of connectors to join the ends of two wall panels together and to support or hanging various furniture components, such as overhead storage units, on the wall panels. As a result, different wall panel systems often are not compatible one with the other.
One space-dividing wall panel system, however, which is usable with different products is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/736,512. This panel system functions particularly well as a spine wall system. A spine wall runs the length of a group of workstations and supports space-dividing return walls on opposite sides of the spine wall to define individual workstations. These spine walls also have a significant cabling capacity so as to allow communications and power cabling to be laid along the length of the spine wall and be supplied to the return walls branching therefrom.
While the return walls may be formed from wall panels having the same construction as the wall panels which define the spine wall, the return walls may also be constructed from other styles and brands of wall panels from the same or different manufacturers. For example, the spine wall not only accommodates many of the various wall panel systems and associated furniture components supplied by Haworth, Inc., the assignee of the present application, but this spine wall also may accommodate wall panel systems and components sold by other manufacturers.
To permit various types and brands of furniture components to be connected to this spine wall system while minimizing the number of system components, the wall panel system disclosed herein includes brackets for supporting various furniture components and return walls, which are used in conjunction with the wall panels disclosed in the above-identified patent application.
One bracket is a connector bracket that removably mounts to a wall panel and supports furniture components, such as storage cabinets and shelves, on the wall panel. Generally, conventional furniture components for wall panel systems typically include hooks which slide into corresponding slots on a wall panel so that the furniture component is supported thereon. These hook and slot arrangements, however, may have different sizes and spacings for the hooks and slots depending upon the particular manufacturer or even the particular product sold by a single manufacturer. Thus, an arrangement of slots on one panel system accommodates components having a specific arrangement of hooks, but typically is not compatible with components having a different arrangement of hooks.
The connector bracket disclosed herein overcomes these differences by incorporating a vertical support rail which has a plurality of slots therein so as to accommodate a plurality of different inserts. Each insert has vertically spaced slots that correspond to a particular arrangement of hooks. Thus, if a particular furniture component is to be supported, the insert corresponding thereto is slid into one of the bracket channels such that the connector bracket is compatible therewith. These inserts can be replaced with alternative inserts which accommodate different types of furniture component.
While this connector bracket may be used with return walls, an interface bracket assembly for return walls also is disclosed herein. This interface bracket includes a mounting bracket which mounts to the spine panel. To secure a return wall to the mounting bracket, a vertical interface rail is mounted to the mounting bracket.
Since different wall panel systems also use different connector arrangements at the ends of wall panels to serially-connect the wall panels together, the interface rail is provided so as to connect to the specific wall panel connector arrangement being used on the return wall. Thus, one or more different types of interface rails are provided which are compatible with the different types of wall panels available.
Since the mounting rail connects to horizontal channels on a wall panel, this interface bracket further includes a disengagable panel lock thereon, preferably on the interface rail to prevent sliding of the mounting rail and facilitate adjustment of the return wall so that it is plumb. The panel lock includes movable jaws which may be spread apart to frictionally engage the walls of a horizontal channel on the wall panel and thereby prevent movement of the interface bracket.
To manage cabling which is stored in the wall panels, the wall panel system further includes cable rings which mount to the wall panel frame so as to support and manage the cabling within the panel raceways. The cable rings have a spiral shape to permit the cable to first be laid through the raceways and then slid sidewardly into the rings. No fishing of the ends of the cables through the ring is necessary such that the cable is readily secured in the cable ring after the cable is already laid.
The wall panel system therefore includes a number of components as disclosed herein which are compatible with different furniture components and wall panel systems. Other objects and purposes of the invention, and variations thereof, will be apparent upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.